Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation
In accordance with European objectives, the Basilicata region intends to promote the use of energy systems and heat generators powered by lignocellulosic biomass, so the present study aimed to investigate the availability of logging residues and most suitable areas for the construction of bioenergy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2699 |
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| author | Maria Pergola Angelo Rita Alfonso Tortora Maria Castellaneta Marco Borghetti Antonio Sergio De Franchi Antonio Lapolla Nicola Moretti Giovanni Pecora Domenico Pierangeli Luigi Todaro Francesco Ripullone |
| author_facet | Maria Pergola Angelo Rita Alfonso Tortora Maria Castellaneta Marco Borghetti Antonio Sergio De Franchi Antonio Lapolla Nicola Moretti Giovanni Pecora Domenico Pierangeli Luigi Todaro Francesco Ripullone |
| author_sort | Maria Pergola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In accordance with European objectives, the Basilicata region intends to promote the use of energy systems and heat generators powered by lignocellulosic biomass, so the present study aimed to investigate the availability of logging residues and most suitable areas for the construction of bioenergy production plants. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was employed to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the biomass distribution and its transport, and spatial LCA was used to evaluate the impact of regional transport. One cubic meter kilometer (m<sup>3</sup> km<sup>−1</sup>) was used as the functional unit and a small lorry was considered for the transport. The results showed that the available harvesting residues amounted to 36,000 m<sup>3</sup> and their loading environmental impact accounted for 349 mPt m<sup>−3</sup>. The impacts of transport (4.01 mPt m<sup>−3</sup>) ranged from 3.4 to 144,400 mPt km<sup>−1</sup> forest parcel<sup>−1</sup>, mainly affecting human health (95%) and, second, the ecosystem quality (5%). Three possible sites for bioenergy plant location were identified considering the environmental impact distribution due to feedstock transport. Findings from this research show the importance of considering the LCA of biomass acquisition in site selection and can fill the knowledge gaps in the available literature about spatial LCA. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:33:03Z |
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| id | doaj.art-c772aebbb89a46b5a4e0c3ec5e597620 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:33:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-c772aebbb89a46b5a4e0c3ec5e5976202023-11-20T01:58:54ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-05-011311269910.3390/en13112699Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues TransportationMaria Pergola0Angelo Rita1Alfonso Tortora2Maria Castellaneta3Marco Borghetti4Antonio Sergio De Franchi5Antonio Lapolla6Nicola Moretti7Giovanni Pecora8Domenico Pierangeli9Luigi Todaro10Francesco Ripullone11Ages s.r.l. s—Academic Spin-off, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalySchool of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 10. I-85100 Potenza, ItalyIn accordance with European objectives, the Basilicata region intends to promote the use of energy systems and heat generators powered by lignocellulosic biomass, so the present study aimed to investigate the availability of logging residues and most suitable areas for the construction of bioenergy production plants. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was employed to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the biomass distribution and its transport, and spatial LCA was used to evaluate the impact of regional transport. One cubic meter kilometer (m<sup>3</sup> km<sup>−1</sup>) was used as the functional unit and a small lorry was considered for the transport. The results showed that the available harvesting residues amounted to 36,000 m<sup>3</sup> and their loading environmental impact accounted for 349 mPt m<sup>−3</sup>. The impacts of transport (4.01 mPt m<sup>−3</sup>) ranged from 3.4 to 144,400 mPt km<sup>−1</sup> forest parcel<sup>−1</sup>, mainly affecting human health (95%) and, second, the ecosystem quality (5%). Three possible sites for bioenergy plant location were identified considering the environmental impact distribution due to feedstock transport. Findings from this research show the importance of considering the LCA of biomass acquisition in site selection and can fill the knowledge gaps in the available literature about spatial LCA.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2699bioenergylife cycle assessmentgeographic information system (GIS)harvesting residues |
| spellingShingle | Maria Pergola Angelo Rita Alfonso Tortora Maria Castellaneta Marco Borghetti Antonio Sergio De Franchi Antonio Lapolla Nicola Moretti Giovanni Pecora Domenico Pierangeli Luigi Todaro Francesco Ripullone Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation Energies bioenergy life cycle assessment geographic information system (GIS) harvesting residues |
| title | Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation |
| title_full | Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation |
| title_fullStr | Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation |
| title_short | Identification of Suitable Areas for Biomass Power Plant Construction through Environmental Impact Assessment of Forest Harvesting Residues Transportation |
| title_sort | identification of suitable areas for biomass power plant construction through environmental impact assessment of forest harvesting residues transportation |
| topic | bioenergy life cycle assessment geographic information system (GIS) harvesting residues |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/11/2699 |
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